CD137 Is Induced by the CD40 Signal on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B Cells and Transduces the Survival Signal via NF-κB Activation

CD137 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family that is expressed on activated T cells. This molecule provides a co-stimulatory signal that enhances the survival, and differentiation of cells, and has a crucial role in the development of CD8 cytotoxic T cells and anti-tumor immunity....

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nakaima, Yukana, Watanabe, Ken, Koyama, Takatoshi, Miura, Osamu, Fukuda, Tetsuya
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2013
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3655981/
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Summary:CD137 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family that is expressed on activated T cells. This molecule provides a co-stimulatory signal that enhances the survival, and differentiation of cells, and has a crucial role in the development of CD8 cytotoxic T cells and anti-tumor immunity. Here we report that CD137 expression is also induced on normal or malignant human B cells by CD40 ligation by its ligand CD154. This CD137 induction was more prominent in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells than in other types of B cells. CD137 stimulation on B cells by its ligand induced the nuclear translocation of p52 (a non-canonical NF-κB factor). In agreement with this finding, expression of the survival factor BCL-XL was upregulated. Consequently, the CD137 signal augmented the survival of CD154-stimulated CLL B cells in vitro. This unexpected induction of CD137 on B cells by CD40 signal may influence the clinical course of CLL.